British weather on holiday with bored kids help

[Towelles]

On holiday in Norfolk with DH and SDC for a week. It’s overcast and windy. I am an outdoors person but SDC (primary aged) aren’t so we can’t do activities any water sports. They don’t really like walking far

The caravan park facilities are ok but the arcade and food is expensive. It’s too cold to swim in the pool longer than an hour. The on site park is shit. The beach is lovely but very windy and the kids are bored after an hour or so. There is evening entertainment so that’s all covered it’s the day times

We have been mostly driving around trying to find things to do. Went to a play park today with a zip wire that actually charged adults to go in and frankly it was a rip off.

We went to see the seals the DC thought that was boring.

I would be happy to do coastal walks or hire bikes I think it’s beautiful here

About to hire a boat to go on the broads (for ££££) (I would also like to walk around but I don’t think this will be popular) so basically it’s me sitting in the back of a boat watching the SDC argue about who is steering it

Can anyone suggest ideas?

we tried crabbing yesterday but the kids got bored as we didn’t catch anything

they then slept in till 10am so most of the day was gone by the time everyone got dressed

please help me save my sanity - is this going to just cost me £1,000 to make this week any good?

Go into Norwich, have a wander in the mall, go to cinema, bowling? Yarmouth for the pleasure beach? Reedham for Pettits? go out to the broads? Thrigby wildlife?

You need to gamify the walking. Download a nature trail and tick them off, get them to stop and each draw a picture of what they see - rewards for the brightest one/accurate one (prizes for all to stop fighting).

Game of rounders, football, board games inside.

Prob best about the boat tbh. They cost loads and the enjoyment for kids runs thin fairly quick once you realise how slow they go.

id give them a budget each to go loose on the arcade with your husband while I sat elsewhere and had a nice drink and a book.

Alternatively Norwich has a roller skating rink and a trampoline place. Not cheap, but they’re there.

Are you spending your money? Are they not your partner's kids? Where is he in all this? Amuse yourself from now on (long walks) and he can entertain them since they're being such hard work.

Norwich Castle is definitely somewhere HE can take them.

Go off and do your own thing while your DH deals with his kids.

Exactly this ⬆️

@FanofLeaves they don’t say it’s boring, this is the issue. They just mope, walk incredibly slowly, have blank faces, absolutely no sign of enjoyment and ruins it

We are currently ‘fishing’ and as they didn’t catch anything in the first 10 mins they want to do something else now but when you ask what they want to do, it’s swim and arcade which isn’t possible for 14 hours a day

I don’t think it’s the ages tbh - my DC are 10 & 7 & they love the aquarium, the beach, walks etc. Don’t get me wrong, they whinge about going out etc but it’s not negotiable & once they’re there they enjoy themselves. We regularly spend the entire day at the beach.
Your SDC sound like really hard work & nothing will be good enough.

Good idea to go off on a super long walk op, amd think about stuff. It sounds like these kid’s imaginations have been ruined by their parents and screens. That isn’t going to change this week. I’d not spend a penny more, and go off on my own as much as you like. Not your responsibility

Honestly I have three and they drive me bonkers at times in many ways but never, ever would they behave like this when I was throwing activities at them and they could see I was spending money and trying to keep everybody occupied. I seriously could not be dealing with this.

DP doesn’t really hype them up. We just sort of end up places with no plan and then when it doesn’t go right he just kind of goes blank and we all wander around aimlessly.

He keeps asking me what I want to do - what’s the point? I like to go for long walks but that’s not really an option so I don’t feel like I have much input into this.

Sounds like they’d be bored anyway if they don’t like going out. Have they got wifi?

Will they walk if it's around a Maize 🌽 Maze, or some sort of trail?

Are they not up for kite flying, and digging big structures and water channels in the sand?

The more you provide ‘entertainment’ for kids the more they need it!

My Dc spent ages making elaborate sand castles and fortifications, decorating sand birthday cakes, building a sand speedboat or racing car to sit in.

Fossil hunting on W Runton beach.

Also crabbing. Just don’t give in to ‘booooored’!

N Norfolk isn’t great for ‘attractions’ but see what kids activities might be on offer at NT Felbrigg or Sheringham Park.

Amazonia Zoo, Cromer. The leisure pool at Sheringham. Sheringham and Cromer both have lakes for model boats (though I sense you have the ‘wrong kind of children’ for that 😂)

Crazy golf at Mundesley

ETA: sorry that’s a lot of N Norfolk Coast things, and I see you are closer to Yarmouth

I mean yes, but with no enthusiasm at all.

Unless it’s exactly their agenda they have no interest and just go through the motions of being present like small hostages

I feel a bit like a hostage myself right now

They don't get a choice. They get told they are going and to suck it up if they don't like it. Preferably with the threat of doing homework if they constantly whine.

Kids that age arent indoor or outdoor. They have parents with more or less tolerance for whining and giving in.

They are his kids. He needs to be leader rather than delegate enthusiasm and organisation to you.

This is part of your problem.

It doesn't really sound like anyone is enjoying this holiday... You want to make it very outdoor-sy and are feeling frustrated and limited that you can't, and DP sounds about as bored as his kids, who would seemingly rather be anywhere else. What was the plan when you booked it? Do they do better with holidays abroad, or are they just not into anything?

I'd agree with DP that I was going to go and do X; and he could take the kids to the arcades and you'd meet him at 6 for the entertainment or whatever.

I'm a bit surprised that they're happy with evening entertainment but nothing in the day! I always found the evening entertainment was aimed more at younger kids than 10-year-olds, but at least it means they're enjoying something each day.

All of you sticking together just means everyone is miserable. Go and do something. You'll feel better and perhaps they'll get interested and come with you one day. Perhaps they won't, but even in that case, at least you won't have wasted the whole trip.

Yes perhaps a bit of homework might focus their minds,

Do they usually have a lot of screen time?

I would put MONEY on it.

He keeps asking me what I want to do - what’s the point? I like to go for long walks but that’s not really an option so I don’t feel like I have much input into this.

So go for a long walk. Why are you sabotaging your own holiday?

Africa Alive, Pleasurebeach, Norwich. Don’t go to Pleasurewood hills we went in June and I was shocked at how awful it is now.

OP has already spent club card points on tickets for PH!

Can you tell me what’s awful about it, has it just generally gone downhill? Used to love it there.

Honestly, @Towelles, I’d leave them to it and go off and do your own thing and spend your money on enjoying yourself in your own way.